


Marks Of Shifters

by Night_the_Dragon



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Anal Sex, Fluff, Knotting, Light Angst, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Shapeshifting, Shifter!Jack, Shifter!Mark, Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:55:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24423121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_the_Dragon/pseuds/Night_the_Dragon
Summary: Humans and shifters live amongst each other in the world. With different types of shifters, it can make things difficult at times, especially for Jack. As a special type of shifter, he's feared being forcibly mated since he gained his mark at 13. Deciding to make a huge step to move to the U.S. from Ireland is just the beginning of something that may bloom into something wonderful, or wither and die as a horrible fate. Taking the risk, Jack never expects to meet a friendly shifter named Mark, who is definitely more than he seems.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Sean McLoughlin
Comments: 22
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I KNOW I said I was working on Streamers & Dragons chapter 5, but this idea flitted into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down, and then it kept bugging me into at least making a start on it. I'M SORRY. I promise I'll ABSOLUTELY finish Streamers & Dragons, but for now, I'm gonna obsessively work on this fic. ^-^;

Jack finished packing the last of what he could into his suitcase, before zipping it shut. He knew his family would ship the rest of what he needed once he got a place and he got the address of it for them, but it still made him nervous about this huge step in his life he was about to take. After all, he’d never lived anywhere besides Ireland with his family, due to the fear he felt about leaving, and the protection that was guaranteed by being home. The difficulties of being an omega multi-shifter…

The world consisted of humans, shifters that can shift into one animal only, and shifters that can shift into any animal in existence, called multi-shifters. And among all shifters, there were two sub-genders: alphas and omegas. Alphas and omegas were identified when they turned 13 years old by gaining a mark that forms somewhere on their body to show their sub-gender, since they couldn’t be determined by their scents. While alphas would get a crescent moon, omegas would get a star. What helped with shifters finding their soulmate was the color of their mark. They came in all colors of the rainbow, and in varying shades, too.

As Jack sat down on his bed, looking at the morning sky with crystalline blue eyes, still dark from how early it was, he sighed quietly. This was his last morning here, and his family was taking him to the airport to catch his flight to America. Looking back down to the floor, he lightly toyed with the silver key-shaped pendant on his choker, which hid his omega mark on the back of his pale neck. The choker hid it perfectly, and he was hesitant to take it off at all, even to shower.

He still remembered when he gained his mark 11 years ago, being shocked when he was told by his mother that it was black, which was unusual. None of his family had ever seen or heard of a black sub-gender mark, but they worried about him nonetheless. Jack was the only omega shifter in the house, and since their family was all multi-shifters, it made him that much more desired by rogue alphas shifters of either kind, since there weren’t many omega multi-shifters. And rogue alphas ran rampant in Europe overall, without many laws to control or punish them for forcibly mating shifters that weren’t their soulmate, just because they wanted a quick fuck.

Which led Jack to his current situation. He had made the difficult decision to move to the U.S., in Los Angeles specifically, to be able to live in safety. The U.S. had strict laws to prevent unwanted mating, so it would be the best place for Jack to go. Sighing quietly when he heard a knock on his bedroom door, Jack stood, grabbing his suitcase and backpack before going to the door. His mother was on the other side, and she gave him a worried look, but led him to the front door, where his siblings were waiting for him.

Jack damn near cried when he was hugged firmly by each of his older siblings, and they made him promise to call them if anything happened, so they could come and beat the shit out of whoever was responsible. That made him laugh a little, thankfully, and they let him and their mother leave to the car. When they finally drove off, his mother held his hand firmly the entire drive, except for when she had to turn.

By the time they reached the airport, the sun was barely starting to peek over the horizon, and Jack tried to keep positive. He told himself that this was a new start, and a chance at a good life without having to live at home. His mother got out with him at the entrance, and she hugged him firmly, nearly making Jack break down crying. As it was, he teared up a bit, and promised to let her know when he got to Los Angeles, and that he would keep her updated.

“You’d best,” she smiled, kissing his forehead and brushing his bright green hair out of his face. “I love you so much, Seán, don’t forget that. We all do.”

“I know, Ma…” Jack murmured. “I love you, too.” He managed to step back, bringing his suitcase with him, and waved to his mother before heading into the airport to get his suitcase into the baggage check and make it to his gate in time.

“Take care of yourself!” she called before the doors closed, and he bit his lip sharply, trying not to cry. This would be a terrifying new start, but he hoped beyond hope that it would work out.

Once Jack was past security, he made his way to the gate, and waited anxiously for the call to board. Soon enough, it was announced, and within minutes, he was seated on the plane, thankfully without a passenger next to him. He didn’t need that stress added on, thank you very much.

Mercifully, he managed to somehow fall asleep once they had levelled out, and woke up with a small jump at the sudden _ding_ sound before the pilot announced they were about to begin the descent. Jack gripped the armrests, digging his nails in as he felt the descent, eventually landing and pulling up to the gate. The multi-shifter exhaled in relief when they finally came to a stop, and hurriedly made his way to the exit with his backpack hanging off of one shoulder.

When he stepped into the airport from the gate, he felt himself relax minutely, immensely relieved that he was done with flying in a plane, since he’d chosen to take a flight directly to Los Angeles from Ireland. If he could have, he would have flown himself to the U.S., but he wouldn’t have been able to cross the ocean to go halfway around the world while flying. He would’ve gotten too tired along the way, and he couldn’t have carried his stuff with him.

Shaking his head briefly to clear the thought, Jack focused on getting his suitcase and getting a cab to a hotel. He couldn’t drive, after all, since he could just shift back home and run or fly where he needed to go. He’d never seen it as an important skill back then.

Jack grabbed his suitcase off the belt when it came around, and sent a text to his mother, letting her know he had arrived safely and was going to get a hotel room somewhere close. Fortunately, his mother had saved a good amount of money for him, and made sure he had the card for the account before he’d left, that way finances wouldn’t be an issue.

The Irishman made his way outside, and was glad he’d had the foresight to not wear a long-sleeved shirt when he left, since it was already hot as hell for him compared to Ireland. He managed to get a cab after five minutes on the curb, and in another twenty, he was at a hotel. He paid the driver and headed inside, and somehow was able to get a room. He just thanked his lucky stars he wouldn’t have to hunt for a hotel with an open room.

Jack flopped down on the bed when he got to his room, knowing he needed to start looking up apartment complexes ASAP…but then he flinched when his stomach practically snarled at him, demanding nourishment since it had been far too long since he’d eaten anything. In fact, thinking on it, he hadn’t eaten since the night before. And that was well over 12 hours ago.

Sighing, Jack sat back up, and debated on either walking around to find somewhere to eat or going hunting, but when his stomach started cramping in protest, he decided to go out to both explore and find a fast food place to eat. He made sure he had his wallet, phone, and room key in his pockets before heading out.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

By the time it was late at night, almost 10pm, Jack had managed to find an apartment complex near a wooded area that accepted mono-shifters and humans, and had a few open apartments. He leaned back in the bed, sighing in relief at both the find and a full stomach. He’d found a pizza place within a block of the hotel, and had gotten a large and some cheese bread to feed him both for the immediate hunger he’d had and for dinner. Even though it was late in Ireland, he texted his mother, letting her know of his plan, and that he would keep up the guise of being just a mono-shifter so he could live there.

Yawning tiredly, the omega turned off his laptop after typing the directions on his phone, and set it aside before crawling under the covers and going to sleep.

When morning arrived, Jack opened his eyes, surprisingly feeling wide awake. Out of reflex, he looked around the room, making sure he was truly alone, and then got out of bed. He got dressed quickly, seeing as it was a bit after 9am, and he wanted to hurry to the apartment complex to try and get one of the open apartments available. Just so he didn’t seem cocky about it, he left his suitcase in the hotel room, and made sure he had his wallet, phone, and room key before walking there.

When Jack arrived, he looked around at the front desk and saw an older woman there, and she almost reminded him of his own mother. She just had a kind but firm attitude to her. She looked up at the sound of the door opening, and she smiled in greeting.

“Hello, dear. How can I help you?” she said.

“I, ah…I was lookin’ into rentin’ one of yer open apartments, actually…” Jack told her, trying to push down his nerves.

“Oh, of course! I’d be happy to show you~” she giggled, getting up and leading him into the hallway and up the stairs. “Did you read about the complex online? Or were you referred by one of the residents?”

“I read about this complex online,” the multi-shifter replied, unable to help smiling at her kindness.

“Then I take it you’re aware there’s only humans and mono-shifters living here, yes?” she asked.

“Yeah, and I’m a mono-shifter,” Jack lied.

“What kind?” she inquired curiously. The Irishman ended up blurting out the first animal he could think of, one that wouldn’t ring any alarm bells for her, and would allow him to hunt.

“Cat,” he answered.

“Oh, that’s precious,” she smiled, making Jack blush faintly. “No matter how many mono-shifters come through here, I always like to hear what they are. It’s interesting for me, especially since I’m not a shifter.”

“Coulda fooled me,” the omega chuckled, and she laughed as they got to the top floor.

“You’re such a dear,” she commented. “Just like my son. He lives in San Diego, but visits when he can.”

“I take it it’s difficult for him to visit often?” Jack guessed.

“Yes, especially with his job and daughter,” she nodded. “Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Rose. What’s yours, young man?”

“My name’s Seán, but my family and friends back home call me Jack, which I prefer,” he smiled.

“Then Jack it is,” Rose giggled before they reached a door at the end of the hall. “This is one of the open apartments, but the last resident left all the furniture behind when they moved out last month, so if you like this one, you can have the furniture at no extra charge.” She then unlocked the door and opened it, flicking on the light and giving Jack a chance to see the interior.

It was nice and cozy, but spacious at the same time. There was a dark red area rug in the middle of the living room, covering the cream-colored carpet in that area. A black, wooden coffee table sat in front of a TV stand placed against the wall, also made of black wood. Facing the TV stand and coffee table was a navy-blue cloth-covered sofa with a matching throw pillow on each end. There was a window next to the TV stand further down, showing a small patio for one to go outside and grill, lounge, or whatever. The accompanying door was further down from the window.

The kitchen was facing out to the living room, and thankfully, the pale grey counters appeared to be tall enough for Jack to cook without hurting his back. The appliances all appeared to be relatively new, surprisingly, and in good shape. There was even a microwave, coffee maker, and a few other small appliances. Rose then led him into the bedroom, the door being a few meters from the living room, and flicked on the light in there, too.

Inside the bedroom, the bedroom furniture matched the coffee table and TV stand. A queen-size bed was in the middle of the room, the headboard against the far wall, and had a blue, green, and silver striped comforter over the royal blue sheets, the four pillows covered in matching pillowcases. There was a nightstand on each side of the bed, and they even had a silver base with white lampshades. There was another door to the left of the bedroom door, which clearly led to the bathroom, and another window by the door coming into the bedroom, showing the mini patio. A TV mount was on the wall, facing the bed, which would allow for the occupant to watch TV in bed, and a dresser sat in the far corner with a closet next to it.

Finally, without a word, Rose showed him the last room, which was next to the kitchen, and turned out to be a laundry room, and had a washer and dryer in it. Jack was completely awed by the place, and definitely loved it. When they got back out to the living room, Rose looked at him, her expression genuinely curious, but not expectant.

“So, what do you think? Like it?” she asked.

“Nah,” Jack replied, but added a second later with a grin, “I love it!”

“Oh, you’re a cheeky one, too, huh?” she laughed. “I always like people with a sense of humor. Well, then it’s yours to rent! Come with me, and we’ll get this settled. Lucky for you, you’re the first person to check into the openings. I wouldn’t have been able to show you this one otherwise.”

“Yer too kind,” the Irishman smiled gratefully. Rose waved off the words, though, as they left, locking the door and heading back downstairs to go into the office.

“It’s fine, Jack,” she assured him. When they got into the office, they sat at the desk, and Rose pulled out the paperwork necessary. After explaining and summarizing the rules, monthly rent, and whatnot, Jack signed the correct spots and gave her his card to pay for the first and last month’s rent in advance, as agreed. Once that was done and he had put his card and the receipt in his wallet, she asked, “Where are you from, by the way? I don’t want to assume, based on accent alone.”

“Ireland. Just got here yesterday,” Jack answered, hoping she wouldn’t ask why.

“Really now? I haven’t had an Irish tenant before, but I’ve had Scottish, French, and many others from Europe and Asia,” she smiled. “Well, I’m glad to have you, Jack. Feel free to come to me if you ever have any problems or need to talk.”

“Thank ya, Rose,” the multi-shifter told her gratefully. “I just need ta get my things I left at the hotel, and I’ll be back ta get settled in.”

“It’s no trouble. Oh, and that apartment has plenty of cookware and dishes, too, along with other minor things you’d need. Feel free to nose around in there,” Rose told him kindly, handing him two keys. “One is a backup, just in case.” Jack thanked his new landlady again as he pocketed the keys, and then waved as he left to check out from the hotel and retrieve his belongings.

Fortunately, it wasn’t quite noon yet when Jack got back to the hotel, and he quickly gathered his things, put the respective items back in his suitcase and backpack before leaving and checking out. He thanked the receptionist again for getting him a room yesterday, since it was the same woman as before, and then made his way back to the apartment complex…and his new home.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Jack smiled to himself as he sat back on the bed. This was beyond perfect, and he was actually feeling great about this move now. Before he could unpack though, he needed to call his mother and update her and his older siblings. Fishing his phone out of his pocket, he pulled up his contacts and Facetimed his mother. She answered within three rings, almost looking worried until she saw the grin on his face.

“Seán! How’s it going so far?” she asked, before she called for the others. When they all appeared in view, Jack smiled.

“It’s actually great now,” he replied. “Got an apartment near a wooded area, the same place I told ya about in my text last night. The landlady, Rose, is super nice, and she got me into an apartment that the last tenant left their furniture in.”

“Is she chargin’ you extra for it all?” Seamus, his oldest brother, asked curiously.

“Not a thing,” Jack answered. “Like I said, super nice. She also said I can come to her with any problems or if I need help.”

“Good to know,” his mother smiled genuinely. “Just be careful, of course, but we know you know.”

“Of course,” the omega nodded. “I know I was scared shitless before, but…now I’m feelin’ good about it.”

“And we’re happy you’re happy, Seán,” his mother promised. “Like I said before, though, please keep us updated. I don’t expect a daily call or text, but at least once a week, okay?”

“I promise, Ma,” Jack assured her. “I love you guys, and I’ll call again soon.”

“Love you, too,” his mother replied with another warm smile, and his siblings called “See you!” before he hung up, grinning like an idiot. But he honestly didn’t care since he was just so happy about this.

As Jack sat back up, locking his phone, he decided to unpack before going hunting. He needed that, and felt it would be good to explore the wooded area so close by. He was sure other shifters would be there, but it shouldn’t be too big of a deal. With that plan in mind, Jack smiled to himself as he went about the apartment, unpacking his suitcase and backpack and putting everything in their appropriate places.

By the time Jack was done, it was early afternoon, and he was hungry. Definitely time to go hunting. Before he left, though, he made sure to text his mother to give her the address and apartment number so the remainder of his things could be shipped over. He made sure to let her know what he _didn’t_ need, though, just in case. Once that was sent, he left, locking the door behind himself with a small smile curving his lips.

Rose wasn’t at the desk this time, nor in the office when he listened, but her scent still lingered in the area, so he figured she was busy with something else. Shrugging, Jack continued on, making his way to the wooded area. As he got closer, he realized it got thicker the deeper one went. He became excited, since he _loved_ weaving through the trees, both by climbing and running. This should be fun.

Jack walked in, disappearing from view of the streets, and when he could no longer see out of the foliage around him, he grinned, inhaling before focusing briefly and shifting into a cat. It took less than five seconds for his skeleton and muscles to rearrange and adjust, and for fur to cover him, and he shook out his pelt when he was done, exhaling quietly. He always subconsciously held his breath when he shifted, but he was fast, so no harm in it.

The multi-shifter stretched out each limb thoroughly, making sure that he wouldn’t cramp or anything while hunting, his brown coat with small silver streaks rippling from the muscles beneath his skin. When a faint noise reached Jack’s ears, they twitched, making the green-colored hair at the tips reflecting his green-dyed hair glow faintly from a tiny beam of sunlight coming through the trees. The omega perked at the sound, not sure if it was prey or something else, and he listened carefully, crouching down and remaining still.

When Jack caught the sound again, he recognized it after a couple seconds: a rodent of some sort eating its food. His ears flicked about, tracing the direction of where it was coming from, and then he was off, silent as can be. It took about a minute before he actually found his prey, a squirrel eating some seeds up on a branch. Jack backtracked a few meters, not wanting the squirrel to hear him climbing, and once he was up above the squirrel’s position, he pounced, catching the squirrel with ease and killing it instantly with a quick bite to its neck.

Jack remained in the tree, beginning to quickly and happily eat his catch, and once he was done, having eaten as much as he could get off its skeleton, he purred contently at having a full stomach. He then buried the remains, not wanting to let them rot and smell in the open air. With that done, Jack began to trace his scent trail back to the tree line so he could go back home. As he trotted along, he soon became aware of a presence following him. Pausing, the omega listened intently to his surroundings, trying to figure out where the danger was coming from.

Suddenly, a large, black-furred wolf shot at Jack from seemingly out of nowhere, snarling viciously. The multi-shifter yowled in terror, streaking off to get away, but knew the wolf was hot on his heels, based on the heavy paws tearing after him and the growling in his ears. Unfortunately, when Jack glanced back to see how close the wolf was, he tripped on a stray root in his path, and screamed in pain as he flew forward, before the wolf lunged at him. The omega squeezed his eyes shut tight, bracing himself for the end.

However, another snarl made him open his eyes again as another, larger wolf launched itself at the first one, slamming him into a tree trunk and stunning him. The larger wolf had dark brown fur, with red fur at the tips of his ears, and he stood with his back to Jack, clearly defending him. The first wolf barked angrily at the newcomer once he was no longer stunned, but when sharp teeth snapped in warning at him, he huffed and stalked off. Once the first wolf was gone, the newcomer turned to Jack, concern clear in his brown gaze.

‘ _Are you okay?_ ’ he asked. Clearly, easier to use telepathy than talk when shifted.

‘ _I…I think so…_ ’ Jack mumbled, his ears flat against his head as he got up to try and walk. Testing each paw carefully, he was relieved when there was no pain. ‘ _Yeah, I’m okay._ ’

‘ _Good to know,_ ’ the wolf smiled, lightly nosing at Jack. ‘ _I take it you’re new here, huh?_ ’

‘ _Is it that obvious?_ ’ the multi-shifter questioned.

‘ _Only by scent. I don’t recognize your scent,_ ’ the wolf chuckled. ‘ _My name’s Mark. What’s yours?_ ’

‘ _Jack. Thank ya for savin’ me,_ ’ Jack told him gratefully.

‘ _It’s no trouble. Would you like me to walk you home?_ ’ Mark offered. The omega blinked in surprise, having not expected the offer. But he soon relaxed before replying.

‘ _Actually, I’d like that,_ ’ he nodded, purring happily. Already he liked this new shifter, considering he’d saved him from being hurt or killed, and was being polite enough to walk him back home.

‘ _Then let’s go,_ ’ the wolf chuckled. As they followed Jack’s scent trail back, Mark asked, ‘ _So, are you a multi-shifter, or a cat mono-shifter?_ ’

‘ _Cat mono-shifter. What about you?_ ’ Jack inquired, making sure to keep to his story.

‘ _Wolf mono-shifter,_ ’ Mark replied. ‘ _Glad I’m not something like a prey animal, though…_ ’ He shuddered at the thought.

‘ _True,_ ’ Jack agreed. ‘ _I might as well be prey, though, considerin’ I’m so small…_ ’

‘ _Hey, sometimes being smaller is an advantage!_ ’ the wolf argued. ‘ _Especially in the thicker parts of this place._ ’

‘ _Makes sense,_ ’ the omega conceded, before looking at Mark with his tail flicking in amusement. ‘ _You’re an optimistic one, huh?_ ’

‘ _I try,_ ’ Mark laughed. They were almost at the edge of the tree line, and Jack looked up at his new friend.

‘ _Guess this is where we part ways, huh?_ ’ he guessed, a disappointed note to his voice.

‘ _…Actually, I live in the same complex nearby,_ ’ the wolf told him as Jack shifted back with a small grunt.

“Wait what?” the Irishman nearly yelped, startled. Despite his surprise, though, he felt a faint warmth from his mark under the choker, which confused him. Mark then shifted back himself before laughing.

“Yep! Looks like we’re neighbors, huh?” he chuckled, and Jack couldn’t help but blush out of embarrassment, even as he took in the other shifter’s appearance from the corner of his eye, turning his head to try and hide his blush.

Mark was a bit taller than him, and definitely had some muscle definition to him, which would explain how he kicked the other shifter’s ass so easily earlier. Tan skin didn’t do much to hide the rippling muscles beneath as Mark leaned back, clicking his back. He had dark brown hair, with the top portion died red, including his bangs that hung in his face. His chocolate brown eyes sparkled with mirth, and he grinned brightly at Jack.

“Well, now I know the newest tenant!” Mark laughed lightly. “What apartment number are you in?”

“Mine’s 309. What about yours?” Jack asked, looking at Mark properly once he’d managed to fight off his blush.

“Oooh, awesome! I’m in 310, right across from you,” the other shifter replied. He then started to head over to the complex, and Jack was quick to follow. As they walked in, Mark inquired, “How long have you been in there?”

“I just moved in this mornin’,” the omega answered softly, making the taller man stop in his tracks and look back at him in surprise.

“Really? Then I guess Rose took a shine to you pretty quick,” he commented, smiling slightly.

“Of course I did!” Rose giggled as she came out of the office. “He’s polite, has manners, and can be cheeky when appropriate.” The last comment made Jack flush with embarrassment again, and he pointedly didn’t look at Mark when said shifter once again looked at him in surprise.

“I’m gonna make a safe guess here, then: you don’t have any groceries yet, huh?” Mark guessed. At Jack’s silence, he smiled warmly. “It’s fine, Jack. How about this? I’ll cook dinner for you as a sort of housewarming.”

“That’s sweet of you, Mark,” Rose smiled. “In that case, I’ll stop by your apartment to treat you both with some of my sugar cookies.”

“Sold!” the taller man grinned, laughing when he spotted Jack perking up eagerly. “You got a sweet tooth, don’t ya?”

“More like I have a cookie tooth,” Jack corrected with a cheeky smirk, making Mark bark out a laugh. “I loved helpin’ my ma all the time with them when I was a kid. My brothers and sisters always enjoyed my excitement over it.”

“You’ll have to tell me more over dinner tonight,” Mark chuckled. He looked to Rose and thanked her in advance for the cookies, before leading Jack upstairs to their floor. “Come on over after you’re changed in some comfortable clothes, okay? And if you need a shower beforehand, go for it. I wouldn’t blame you,” he smiled when they got to their respective apartments. “See you soon, Jackaboy~” And then he slipped into his apartment, shutting the door behind himself.

Jack was practically frozen, icy blue eyes wide and jaw slack from the nickname. He’d never been called that before, and the more he thought about it, he found he liked Mark calling him that. Shaking his head briefly, the multi-shifter unlocked his door and walked in, closing and locking the door behind himself.

He toed off his shoes before pausing, remembering Mark’s words about a shower. Bringing his shirt up to his nose, he nearly cringed at the stink. “Yep, a shower is _definitely_ in order…” he muttered, wrinkling his nose.

With his plan made, Jack went to his room, being sure to dig out some comfortable shorts, a t-shirt, and boxer briefs to wear after his shower, and then went into the bathroom with his bag of toiletries in hand. He was surprised to see some forest-green towels, washcloths, and hand towels on the back of the toilet, along with a note.

I figured you’d like these clean before you bathed, rather than covered in dust like they were. Glad to have you here, Jack~

-Rose

Jack couldn’t help but smile to himself when he finished reading the note, and after placing it on the bathroom counter, he locked the bathroom door (just in case), and stripped out of his current clothes, even removing his choker. Once he had the shower water at a pleasant temperature, he stepped under the spray, sighing in relief at the warm water running over him.

Despite his earlier thoughts rushing through his mind, Jack managed to focus on getting done with his shower. Soon enough, he was clean and rinsed off, and stepped out of the shower, snagging one of the towels as he went. As he dried himself off, running the towel over his omega mark, he wondered why the area had warmed the way it had earlier when he discovered Mark lived in the same complex. Definitely strange, but he didn’t linger too long on the thought.

After putting his choker back on and getting dressed in the clothes he’d pulled out, Jack grabbed his phone and key, pocketing them before stepping out of his apartment and going to Mark’s, being sure to lock the door behind himself. The omega took a deep breath, holding it for a couple seconds before letting it out, forcing himself to calm down, and then knocked on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

As Jack’s hand lowered back to his side, the door swung open, and Mark was on the other side, grinning.

“Heya Jack!” he greeted, and then stepped aside to let the Irishman in. Jack walked into the apartment, almost jumping when the other shifter shut the door a little hard. “Shit, sorry, the doors here sometimes slam shut…”

“It’s okay, just didn’t expect that,” Jack assured him. When a delicious scent reached his nose, though, he visibly perked up, sniffing the air and making Mark laugh.

“I hope you like shrimp carbonara,” he chuckled, grinning again when Jack’s icy blue eyes widened excitedly.

“That’s my favorite Italian dish!” he exclaimed. “How’d ya know?”

“I didn’t. I was planning on making it tonight, anyway, so now you’re lucky and get to try mine,” Mark smirked, making the omega roll his eyes.

“I’ll save the compliments for after I’ve tried it,” he quipped cheekily.

“Rose was right, you have some sass to you,” the taller man commented as he went into the kitchen.

“Better than bein’ a complete pushover,” Jack pointed out, leaning against the wall just outside the kitchen.

“True,” Mark agreed, and then looked at the Irishman. “Are you hungry yet? I’ve got everything ready, and can start cooking when you get hungry.”

“Not yet,” the multi-shifter assured him. “I caught a squirrel while huntin’, and that’s kept me full for a bit.”

“Nice. I caught a rabbit myself earlier,” the other shifter smiled. “I know Rose’s cookies take at least an hour to finish the entire batch, so we have some time until then. We can watch something on Netflix or play a video game or you want. Probably a stupid question, but you play video games, right?”

“No, I was a deprived child who played with sticks and had no electronics period growing up,” Jack answered with a straight face, sarcasm dripping from every word. He then smirked after a couple seconds. “Of course I play video games, ya doof. Have been since I was six.” He then cringed a little. “Jesus, I feel old now…”

“How old are you?” Mark asked, curious.

“24. What about you?”

“I’m 25. And since you haven’t been playing video games for even 20 years, you can’t say you’re old,” the taller man pointed out, wagging a finger at Jack to mock-scold him. “And neither can I, since I’ve been playing since I was six, too.”

“Fiiiine, ya got me there,” Jack conceded, laughing a bit. “What game did ya have in mind?”

“How about Mario Kart?” Mark suggested, but even though the words themselves sounded innocent enough, his eyes had a gleam of mischief in them. The omega had a feeling he knew why, but feigned ignorance.

“Sure, that should be good,” he smiled, putting his own poker face up with ease. As Mark got everything set up, with Jack already plopped on the couch, the multi-shifter pretended to be surprised when he saw the start menu. “Oh wait, I don’t think I’ve actually played before… Maybe I watched one of my brothers play.”

“Do you still want to play?” the older man inquired.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Jack assured him. “Do you wanna pick the first track?”

“Guests get first pick,” Mark chuckled, sitting next to him and handing him a controller.

“Okay then,” the Irishman shrugged. He pretended to study the controls before they started, and when they went to pick their racers, he picked Luigi.

“Matches you,” the other shifter snickered as he picked Mario.

“Right back at ya,” Jack snorted, rolling his eyes a little. When it came to picking the track, though, he feigned curiosity and confusion when he saw Rainbow Road, and as soon as he selected it, he felt Mark stiffen beside him, and he grinned internally. As soon as the race started, Jack was off, making Mark yelp a little as he shot right after.

As the race progressed, it became very clear that Jack was most certainly _not_ a newbie at Mario Kart, he was in fact _very_ experienced, and he thrived on Rainbow Road…unlike Mark. The poor guy kept falling off the track, and hitting Jack’s traps. By the time the older man managed to snatch up a blue shell to hit Jack with, the multi-shifter was rapidly closing in on the finish line of the third and final lap. Mark used it immediately, but it failed to reach Jack in time, as Jack zipped across the finish line two seconds later.

“WOO!!” Jack crowed excitedly, giving Mark a wide grin. Said man was giving Jack some major stink-eye and pouting.

“Well, you’ve apparently played many times before,” he grumbled. “Sneaky shit…”

“Hey, ya can’t call yourself a true gamer unless you’ve played Mario Kart. And I play almost every day,” the Irishman grinned cheekily. “Gotta keep my skills sharp~”

“And that’s devotion, if not obsession,” Mark snorted, laughing at Jack’s indignant cry.

“It helps havin’ four older siblin’s to play with and practice against,” Jack told him with a little huff. “And they never gave me the win. Even if I’d lost five times in a row.”

“Sheesh, tough siblings,” the other shifter remarked.

“It made me more determined to get better, so it’s fine,” the omega shrugged, but he sighed a little at the small pang he felt from talking about them.

“…I take it it’s safe to say they don’t live here, huh?” Mark guessed softly, giving him a sympathetic look.

“No… I flew in from Ireland yesterday, and I already miss my family…” Jack mumbled. Despite his sadness, he hoped to whatever god was listening that Mark wouldn’t ask why he’d moved from Ireland.

“How come you moved here, then?” Aaaand that request fell on deaf damn ears, clearly.

“…” Jack bit his lip, desperately trying to think of a lie to cover up the real reasoning. As comfortable as he felt with Mark, and as nice and kind as he is, the multi-shifter knew he couldn’t tell the truth, lest he put himself in danger. When Jack’s silence and discomfort stretched on, though, Mark placed a calming hand on his shoulder, making the Irishman flick his crystalline blue eyes over to look at him.

“It’s okay, Jack. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he soothed. “I was just curious.”

“…Thank you…” Jack murmured gratefully when he registered what Mark had said, relaxing. The older man smiled kindly, and then chuckled when the omega’s stomach growled, making him blush.

“No need to apologize, Jack,” Mark assured him, and then he got up. “I’ll get dinner going, so try not to let your stomach eat itself in the meantime, kay?”

“No promises,” Jack laughed lightly. As he settled back against the couch again, starting to look through Mark’s Netflix he’d pulled up when the younger man hadn’t been paying attention, there was a knock at the door.

“That must be Rose,” the other shifter said before there was a loud sizzling from the stove. “Mind answering the door? Kinda busy with this.”

“Sure thing,” the multi-shifter called back, pushing up from the couch and going over to answer the door. Even before Jack opened the door, though, he could smell the warm aroma of fresh-baked cookies, and he smiled as he swung it open to see Rose there with the cookies.

“Hello there, Jack,” she smiled when she saw him. “As promised, here are those sugar cookies. Be sure to let me know what you think tomorrow, okay?” She then handed him the platter.

“Will do. Thank ya, Rose,” the Irishman chuckled. “Have a good night, Rose.”

“I shall. Oh, and I left a couple things in your apartment for you. Make sure to set them up tomorrow,” she giggled, before leaving. Jack blinked, surprised, but didn’t question her. Once the omega closed and locked the door, he headed over to the kitchen, setting the platter near the sink.

“Damn, those always smell so fucking good,” Mark groaned, even as he continued cooking. “But they taste better than they smell.”

“Guess I’ll have to find out for myself, huh?” Jack smirked.

“Oh, no matter what Rose makes, you’ll love it. She always does potluck-style family meals for those that can’t go see family for holidays, or who don’t have family to see,” the older man told him. “She’s an amazing landlady, and all of us living here love her. We’d do anything to make sure nothing bad happens to her. Some of the former tenants have actually protected her and driven off would-be burglars before.”

“That’s amazin’. She definitely seems like a mom for many,” the younger man commented.

“She really is. Even though she’s got her son and granddaughter, since they can only come down once a month or so, she takes to doting on everyone here instead. It’s her way of…coping, I guess, with empty nest syndrome. And she fills that nest with all of us tenants,” Mark chuckled. “Since my mom is in Cincinnati, I can’t see her too much, so Rose really helps me when a phone call just doesn’t cut it.”

“…She reminds me of my ma, to be honest…” Jack murmured. He noticed the other shifter perk up at the soft words, glancing over his shoulder to listen. “Ma took care of all of us, made sure we also had each other’s backs when needed. She doted on us in different ways, but never let spoiled us so we were brats. She’s definitely sharp, though, so she can see through anyone’s deceit easily. She’s no fool.” He chuckled at that. “But she also wouldn’t turn someone on the street down if they needed some money. She would actually take them to get some food instead, even with us in tow. And around the holidays, we would help her make care packages to take to homeless shelters and to give out on the street.”

“She sounds a lot like Rose, then,” the other shifter agreed. “Sharp, kind, and generous as hell.”

“Summed it all up right there,” the multi-shifter nodded with a smile.

“Well, I hope you’re hungry,” Mark said suddenly as the sizzling stopped and he turned off the stove. As he drained the pasta, he muttered, “I always make too much pasta and not enough sauce…”

“Hey, I’ll eat pasta anytime, even without sauce,” Jack laughed.

“Then I’ll be sure to send some back with you,” the older man snorted in amusement. Once he’d tossed about half of the pasta in the carbonara sauce with the shrimp, he dished them up, pulling out forks from a drawer and handing one to Jack with his plate. “Coke okay with you?”

“Yeah, I love Coke,” the Irishman nodded as he sat back down on the couch. Once Mark joined him, handing him a Coke, Jack settled further into the couch and took a bite of his food…and damn near groaned at the taste. “Holy shit, that’s fuckin’ delicious!”

“Good to know,” Mark chuckled, putting on some random show before leaning back and eating as well.

“At least I now know where to go for great carbonara,” Jack smirked.

“Happy to be of service,” the other shifter grinned. After a few minutes, he asked, “Since you’re so new to LA, would you like me to go with you for groceries tomorrow? I know you can’t survive only off of hunting. Cooked meals are good, too.” The question caught the younger man off guard, making him blink in surprise at Mark. After a few seconds, though, he realized it would be a good idea, since he had no idea where the nearest grocery store was, and he highly doubted he’d be able to carry a bunch of groceries back home.

“…I’d like that,” Jack smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Jackaboy. Anytime,” Mark chuckled, resuming eating. That nickname again, and in such a warm tone…it made the omega shiver very slightly, and he found himself really beginning to enjoy it. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like anyone else calling him that, but that’s fine, as long as no one else besides Mark did.

When they both finished eating, Jack got up to help Mark with cleaning up, but the older man pushed him back onto the couch. The multi-shifter stared back up at him with wide, icy blue eyes, a bit alarmed.

“Nuh-uh, you’re not helping. You’re my guest, I invited you, and you’re new here, so I would never make you help clean up after a welcoming dinner,” Mark smirked, and then took their plates into the kitchen and started washing all the dishes. As the sounds of the dishes being washed reached Jack’s ears, making him calm back down, he couldn’t help but wonder if Mark was an alpha. The man was clearly very caring and protective, but even though he was curious, Jack wasn’t about to ask, lest he be forced to reveal his own sub-gender. He’d rather Mark ask first, but even then, the omega had a strong feeling he’d be dodging the question anyway.

Suddenly, Jack jumped, startled, when the other shifter plopped back down on the couch with the platter of cookies. The Irishman had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Mark had finished cleaning up.

“Sorry, Jack! Didn’t mean to startle you,” Mark apologized quickly, a guilty expression on his face.

“It’s okay, I was just spacin’ out,” Jack assured him. He noticed the older man looked like he was hesitating on saying something, but the younger man pretended to ignore it, smiling instead. “So, time to enjoy Rose’s cookies, huh?”

“Of course! She’d have been upset if we’d just eaten them all for dinner, anyway,” Mark told him, uncovering the platter. As soon as Jack caught the heavenly aroma, his eyes widened excitedly and he snatched a few and took a bite of one. Immediately, he moaned at the taste.

“Oh my fuckin’ god, these are fuckin’ fantastic,” he mumbled around his mouthful. “Even Ma’s sugar cookies aren’t this good.” The other shifter laughed loudly at that, even as he bit into his own cookie.

“Well, I’d like to think she makes the best baked goods, since she’s won basically every baking competition there is,” Mark told him after swallowing.

“That explains a lot, then,” Jack grinned, right before eating another cookie. They watched the rest of another episode of the show Mark had put on while eating through the cookies before the multi-shifter yawned widely. “Fuckin’ hell… Here comes the food coma.”

“That’s a new one,” the older man snickered. “But it’s very fitting for right now.” Getting up, he groaned as he stretched, before relaxing again and turning off Netflix and the TV. Covering the platter again, which wasn’t even half-finished, he asked, “What time do you want to go to the store tomorrow?”

“I think 10 should work. Give me enough time to wake up and…ah, fuckin’ shit…” the Irishman groaned in annoyance as he realized an important detail. “I don’t have any fuckin’ coffee…!” he whined.

“I take it that’s a must in the morning, huh?” Mark guessed.

“I can’t go a day without my precious dirty bean water, especially in the mornin’,” Jack grumbled, making the other shifter chuckle.

“How about I bring some of my coffee over tomorrow morning? I’m more than willing to share,” Mark offered.

“That…would be awesome,” the multi-shifter said in relief. “Thanks a ton.”

“It’s my pleasure,” the older man smiled. Once Jack hauled himself off the couch, Mark handed him the platter and walked him to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay? Be up at 9, and I’ll be there with coffee.”

“You are a fuckin’ lifesaver,” the omega grinned tiredly as he unlocked and opened his apartment door. “I’ll see ya t’morrow, then. G’night, Markimoo~” He laughed as he caught his new friend’s very surprised expression, before shutting the door and locking it behind himself.

As Jack placed the platter of cookies on the kitchen counter, he blinked in shock at the sight of a TV on the stand in the living room, since it hadn’t been there before. Peeking into his bedroom, he was just as surprised to see another TV on the mount across from the bed, and the Irishman smiled at the sight once his shock wore off. He knew these were what Rose had left him when she mentioned it before.

Finally, Jack settled into bed after brushing his teeth, not bothering to change since he was comfortable enough. As he snuggled into the pillow, he felt something under his back, and reached underneath himself to find a small note, in Rose’s handwriting.

I was keeping those TV’s safe in my apartment from potential thieves, so now you can have them. Sleep well, dear~

-Rose

The multi-shifter smiled again, and knew he was incredibly lucky to have gotten what he had so far. Hopefully the luck would continue for him. Maybe the luck of the Irish was actually coming through for him. The thought made him snort, before he curled up under the comforter and quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm very sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to get this posted today, and I was behind my own schedule for this since I had a kidney stone on Tuesday... I've had them before, and that was my 5th one ever (3rd one in less than a damn year), but it rendered me basically useless for the day due to the immense pain (I've heard it compared to childbirth pain, and sometimes worse than that O_O;). It took over 12 hours for the damn thing to pass, UGH. I also had a rough weekend, where I was at a very...low point. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one, and I will do my very best to crank out the next chapter with more stuff! I truly adore your comments, and they never fail to make me smile! This is why I write, though! It's a creative outlet for me, plus I love getting the amazing comments from the readers who love my fics~ Don't worry too much about me, though, just understand if I don't update things for a bit, I either had or am going through a rough patch, I'm having writer's block, but I WILL get this done!
> 
> Next chapter, I'll put in the grocery shopping part, plus a time skip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I fibbed in my last note. No time skip this time, but there's a lot of stuff that happens!

The following morning, Jack woke up to knocking on the door to his apartment, making him whine tiredly before checking his phone for the time. It took him a few seconds to register that it was already 9 in the morning, and that it had to be Mark knocking on the door…with coffee. That alone spurred him into action, shoving the blanket off of himself and quickly getting dressed and ready for the day. As soon as he was out of his room, he scrambled to the door, opening it to see Mark, patiently waiting on the other side with a travel mug full of steaming hot coffee.

“Good morning, Jackaboy,” the older man greeted with a chuckle. “I take it you didn’t set an alarm, huh?” Jack stepped aside to let him in, accepting the offered cup as his friend walked in.

“No, I forgot cuz I was too tired…” Jack admitted, trying to ignore the warm feeling the nickname gave him as he took a drink of the coffee.

“It’s fine, I just feel bad I woke you up,” Mark replied, looking a bit guilty.

“Dun worry ‘bout it, Mark. I needed ta wake up at some point, anyway,” the younger man assured him, humming pleasantly as the heat pooled in his stomach. He made his way to the kitchen, snagging a couple cookies from the platter to munch on as _some_ kind of sustenance before they went for groceries. His mother had always made sure that he and his siblings weren’t the least bit hungry when they went grocery shopping, lest they try to grab anything and everything that looked tasty. Because of that, he tried to follow that lesson now.

“Sleep good last night?” the other shifter asked as he watched Jack eat, leaning against the wall near the door.

“Yeah. Still getting’ used to sleepin’ without mah family nearby…but I’ll adjust,” Jack shrugged, not enjoying the sad pang in his chest at the thought.

“Well, if you ever need company or anything, I’m right across the hall. And don’t worry about waking me up, either,” Mark smiled sympathetically. “I don’t mind in the least.” The multi-shifter blinked in surprise at that, before smiling back gratefully.

“…Yer too nice ta me, ya know that?” he murmured. “Are you like this with everyone here?”

“Rose primarily, but everyone here takes care of each other. We’re basically a huge ass family here,” the older man chuckled, before sobering with a thoughtful smile. “…But you’re different for me. I just want to help you with anything and everything I possibly can. I guess you could call it my instincts, but I dunno.”

“…I guess you could call my readily accepting the help my instincts, too, then,” Jack said quietly. “Whenever anyone other than family tried ta help me with shit I could do on my own, I pitched a fit. It’s different now, but it feels good.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with being independent. And there’s also nothing wrong with accepting help when you need it,” Mark pointed out.

“True,” the Irishman agreed, snagging up one last cookie. “Christ, I need to control myself. Otherwise I’ll have these addictive little shits gone in no time…”

“Rose would take you eating them all within a day or two as a compliment, so don’t sweat it,” the other shifter laughed, pushing off from the wall as Jack joined him. When they got downstairs to the lobby, Rose looked up from where she was doing some paperwork.

“Good morning, dears,” she greeted with a warm smile. “Off to go for groceries?”

“Yup,” Jack smiled. “Thanks a ton for everythin’, by the way, Rose. And those cookies are like crack. They’re very addictive!”

“I’d be upset if they weren’t!” the older woman giggled. “Oh! And Mark, you’ll probably need to bring the cart with you, just in case. I’m sure you boys will be getting a lot, and I know you’re not driving.”

“Good thinking,” Mark nodded, and went to the back office for a few seconds. When he returned, he had a shopping cart with a cloth lining inside it.

“That should help so neither of you are struggling to bring those groceries back,” Rose said as they started to leave. “Try not to be out too long, we’re supposed to get rain in a few hours!”

“Thanks for the warning!” Mark called over his shoulder with a wave. As they walked in comfortable silence to the grocery store, Mark somewhat leading the way, Jack nervously eyed the dark clouds rolling in off in the distance. He really hoped it wouldn’t become a thunderstorm. Rain, he could deal with. But thunder and lightning? Not at a chance.

He’d gained his fear of thunderstorms when he was only 6, when both of his brothers had jokingly locked him out of the house while their mother had been out. When the thunder boomed so loud it made the ground shake, and the lightning flashed so brightly it lit up the entire sky, it terrified Jack, and he’d been forced to hide in a bush, crying his eyes out. It was only when his sisters came to get him after 30 minutes of hiding that he felt safe, but the damage had been done. Their mother had ripped into his brothers when she found out, even more than his sisters had. And every time a thunderstorm rolled in since then, all four of his siblings comforted him, especially his brothers since they felt so guilty at seeing what they had caused.

“Jack?” Mark called out to him, snapping the younger man out of his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“We’re here. Are you okay? You kinda zoned out on me there,” the older man said, looking a bit worried.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, just thinkin’ about other shit,” Jack apologized. He wasn’t going to say anything about his fears, since he didn’t want Mark worrying too much about it. “Let’s get some food, yeah?”

“Sounds good,” Mark smiled, and they headed in, loading up the cart with anything they found that Jack would need, might need, and stuff that just looked tasty. As they went through, though, the multi-shifter drifted a bit away from Mark when he thought he saw something interesting. It was only when Mark rounded the corner, not realizing Jack wasn’t with him, that the omega was suddenly grabbed and pinned against the shelves, making him yelp.

“Well, you look too pretty to be alpha, don’t you?” a voice purred in his ear. Immediately, Jack froze, panic coursing through him, and he felt a cold sweat run over him. This can’t be happening!! He tried to struggle, but his attacker slammed him against the opposite wall, drawing a pained cry from the Irishman.

“Ah-ah-ah, my sweet, none of that~” the stranger, clearly an alpha shifter of some kind, scolded. “You’re not getting away.” Suddenly, there was a furious snarl from the side, before the alpha shifter was violently ripped off of Jack. When the multi-shifter managed to look from where he’d fallen on the floor, he saw Mark standing over his attacker, his expression absolutely livid as he snarled viciously.

“…You better get the fuck out of my sight and leave him alone, or I’ll fucking slaughter you,” Mark finally warned dangerously. The alpha beneath him seemed a bit paralyzed with fear, but when Mark snapped, “Move it!” he scrabbled to his feet and bolted, the stench of pure terror left in his wake. The wolf shifter softened his expression as he looked back at Jack, before going over to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly. Jack nodded slightly, honestly stunned by what had just happened. He hadn’t expected to be pinned like that, and he _especially_ didn’t expect Mark to be so ferocious when he saved him. Mark kneeled in front of Jack, watching him for a few seconds, before he gently pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry if I scared you…” the other shifter whispered, even as Jack hugged him back.

“…You didn’t,” the younger man mumbled against his shoulder. “The other guy did, but you stopped him. Thank you…”

“Of course, Jack,” Mark murmured, helping Jack to his feet when they parted. As they resumed shopping, Jack noticed none of the other customers seemed really bothered by what had happened. It was different, but he dismissed the thought when his friend laughed lightly with a sheepish look. “I’ll admit, I almost shifted earlier, but I kept myself under control enough.”

“Well, I’m glad ya didn’t, then,” Jack chuckled. “Are shifters not allowed to shift in stores or something?”

“No, actually. That law was put in place so stores, especially smaller ones, wouldn’t be completely trashed if a fight broke out at all,” the older man explained. “If I’d shifted, I would have been in big trouble…”

“Then I’m _really_ glad you kept yourself in check,” the omega told him. “In Ireland, there’s not a ton of laws against shifters, nor are there many laws protecting them…”

“That’s so fucked up…” Mark grumbled.

They reached the end of the aisles, grabbing a couple final things, and then made their way to check out at one of the registers. After everything had been scanned, bagged, and paid for, the pair went back outside, being welcomed by the unwanted feeling of raindrops starting to fall.

“God dammit…” Mark groaned. “Let’s hurry back before we get soaked.” Jack nodded quickly, and they rushed back to the apartment complex, even as the rain picked up. Once they got back, it was right before the rain began to pound down…soon accompanied by a bright flash of lightning. The Irishman’s eyes widened fearfully, and when the thunder that boomed after sounded, it drowned out his alarmed squeak.

Both shifters went in, and Mark, shockingly enough, managed to haul the cart up the stairs to their floor. Granted, he was panting when they got there, but he did it.

“Jesus, man!” Jack exclaimed when they got to his apartment. “Didn’t that hurt?”

“No, it’s just heavier than normal cuz of all the groceries,” Mark assured him, shutting the door behind himself. “I just gotta take the cart back down to Rose after we unload this stuff.”

“Let’s unload the cart of the bags first, then, and while you take the cart back to Rose, I can start puttin’ the groceries away,” the younger man offered.

“Good idea, Jackaboy,” the other shifter grinned. After they had put the bags on the kitchen counters, Mark left to take the cart back down to Rose. While he was gone, Jack kept jumping a bit each time lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside. He couldn’t help frequently glancing out the window as he put away the groceries, his anxiety steadily getting worse with each flash and boom. When there was a sudden knock on the door, though, Jack yelped loudly in alarm, before going and answering it, revealing Mark.

“Hey, sorry, did I scare you?” Mark asked worriedly as he walked in.

“N-no, you didn’t,” the multi-shifter stuttered, before swallowing thickly after another rumble of thunder sounded. “I-I…I’m scared of thunderstorms…”

The older man reached out to him slowly, wanting to comfort him, but then there was a blinding flash of lightning, quickly followed by a deafening crash of thunder. Jack screamed, terrified, before shifting into a fennec fox without thinking and darting to his room and hiding under the bed. As he breathed rapidly, his ears flat against his head, he stiffened in horror when he realized what he had just done. Mark had clearly seen him shift into something other than a cat, revealing him as a multi-shifter, not a mono-shifter.

“Jack!” Mark called out, still outside the bedroom. “It’s okay, I promise!” He clearly sounded surprised, but his voice sounded like he was trying to soothe the younger shifter. However, Jack remained where he was, fearful, and not wanting to face the music, so to speak. He whimpered quietly, squeezing his eyes shut, but otherwise didn’t move.

Out of nowhere, there was a light touch to his tail, and he squealed in alarm before quickly scooting away from the touch. When he looked to see what had touched him, he was shocked to see another fennec fox, watching him worriedly with chocolate brown eyes. As he stared, though, he soon noticed the red fur at the tips of its ears…just like Mark.

‘ _…Mark…?_ ’ Jack called out tentatively, nervous as all hell.

‘ _It’s me,_ ’ Mark answered, nodding with a small smile. ‘ _I’m a multi-shifter, too._ ’

‘ _But…I’m so confused…_ ’ the omega whimpered.

‘ _Let’s talk in human form, okay? I promise I’ll explain,_ ’ the older shifter replied. Hesitantly, Jack crawled out from under the bed, but yipped and jumped in terror when the thunder rumbled outside again. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he shifted back and sat on the bed, Mark joining him shortly after. The Irishman trembled from anxiety and fear as he sat there, until his friend wrapped an arm around him comfortingly, holding him close.

“I know the rules here only allow mono-shifters and humans, but Rose made an exception for me, since she took such a shine to me when I moved in,” Mark started. “We both decided to stick with the story that I’m a wolf-shifter, just so no one else was suspicious. I’m sure it’s the same with you, but we don’t have to go to her on that yet.”

“…Thank you…” Jack whispered, flinching at another boom of thunder. The other shifter rubbed his shoulder soothingly in response, trying to calm him down.

“…I don’t want to pressure you into answering, but…are you an omega?” Mark asked softly after a few minutes. The younger man froze in his panic at the question, not wanting to verbally answer, but he knew by his reaction that he’d given himself away. The older man shushed him gently, still rubbing his shoulder. “…Can I please see your mark, then?”

“…Yeah…” Jack mumbled after a minute, before slowly reaching up with shaking hands to remove his choker. Once he’d managed to take it off, he turned his back to Mark and showed him the black star on the back of his neck. After a few seconds, he heard a surprised, but excited, gasp from his friend. Jack turned back around when Mark quickly stood, and his eyes widened when he saw the other shifter hurriedly trying to pull his shorts down. “What are you doing?!” he yelped, blushing brightly.

“Showing you my mark,” Mark growled, finally just pulling down the left side of his shorts and underwear to only show his hip…where there was a black crescent moon.

“…!” Jack’s jaw dropped in shock, his crystalline blue eyes wide as saucers as he stared at the mark. That mark meant that Mark was not only an alpha, but he was _Jack’s_ alpha…and soulmate. Well, that explained why Jack had felt so comfortable with Mark when they met, and why Mark had been so fierce at the grocery store earlier, among other things.

“Now it makes sense why I feel so protective of you,” the other shifter murmured. Pulling his underwear and shorts back up to sit properly on his hips again, he sat next to Jack again. “…Is it because you’re an omega multi-shifter why you left Ireland?”

“Yes…” the Irishman nodded slightly, leaning into Mark’s side as an arm wrapped around him. “I was scared shitless at the thought of being forcibly mated to an alpha that wasn’t my soulmate…especially since the laws don’t protect omegas in that regard. All of my siblin’s are alphas, while Ma’s an omega. They kept me safe at all times after I gained my mark. And since none of my family had heard of or seen a black mark, they worried about me being forcibly mated… So I chose to move here for my own safety.”

“I’m glad you did,” Mark smiled, despite his quieting growl. “I promise, Jack, I will _always_ keep you safe, no matter what. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you.” He held Jack closer when he finished speaking, before pressing his nose into the omega’s green hair and inhaling his sweet scent.

“I believe you,” Jack said softly, curling closer to Mark. Another flash of lightning followed with a boom of thunder happened, though, making the younger man whimper and flinch.

“How come you’re so scared of thunderstorms?” his alpha asked as he continued to soothe him. After Jack managed to explain what happened, Mark sighed sadly, but still held Jack close. “Would you like me to stay here tonight?”

“Please…” Jack mumbled, before adding, “Even when it’s not stormin’…”

“Of course, Jackaboy,” Mark nodded with a warm smile. “Will you be okay if I go change and come back? You can change while I’m gone, and then we’ll rest comfortably.” The omega nodded, forcing himself to pull away so Mark could go change. The older man got up, but then leaned down and pressed a brief kiss to Jack’s forehead, chuckling when the Irishman blushed as he quickly looked back up at him. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“Okay,” Jack smiled slightly, and then Mark left. Once the door to the apartment was shut, Jack quickly changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, putting his choker back on as well, before snatching up his phone and calling his mother on Facetime. She answered after two rings, and he heard her call for his siblings before speaking to him.

“Hi Jack,” she smiled. “How’s everythin’ going?”

“Well, a lot happened since we talked yesterday,” Jack told her, and then explained about meeting Mark, how comfortable he was with him right away, how protective Mark was, the grocery store incident, and finished with the thunderstorm freak out. “And…as it turns out…Mark’s my soulmate.”

“He’s got a black mark?” Maria, his youngest sister, gasped.

“Yeah. He showed me. It’s on his left hip,” the omega replied, smiling shyly. “It explains so much now. I just…I dunno how I should be with him…”

“Just allow your instincts to take over,” his mother smiled. “I know it’s kind of scary, but it’ll be less stressful on you if you let your instincts do what they want you to do. Don’t suppress them, or it’ll put a lot of strain on you.”

“My instincts want him with me, all the time, even now…” Jack murmured. “He’s stayin’ with me tonight, cuz of the storm, and I asked him, in a roundabout way, to be with me every night.”

“I’m sure he will. His instincts will push him into wantin’ to be with you at all times, too,” Seamus assured. “He sounds like a good guy, Jack. We’re happy for you.”

“Thank you…” Jack smiled. “He should be back soon, he just had to go change into somethin’ comfortable.” He perked up at the sound of the apartment door opening and closing, followed by Mark calling his name. “I’m in my room!” he yelled back. Right after, his alpha came in, shutting the bedroom door behind himself, and he blinked in surprise when he saw Jack on the phone.

“Sorry, am I interrupting?” he apologized.

“Nah, now you get to say hi to my family,” the younger man told him with a chuckle, turning his phone so they could see Mark. “Guys, this is Mark.”

“Hi!” they all greeted in unison, his siblings laughing.

“Hello,” Mark replied with a grin. “It’s nice to meet you all, even if it’s not a true face-to-face.”

“That’s fine, Mark,” Jack’s mother giggled. “Just take good care of him, and that’s what matters to us.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” Mark promised. Yet another rumble of thunder sounded, and Jack jumped and whimpered, nearly dropping his phone.

“It’ll be okay, Seán,” his mother soothed. “We’ll let you both go, but keep us updated, okay?”

“Will do, Ma,” the omega said shakily, before hanging up. As soon as he set his phone back on the nightstand, Mark sat on the bed and pulled Jack close to him, lying down on the bed as he held him in a warm embrace. Jack nuzzled his alpha’s chest as he cuddled closer, inhaling his warm, spicy scent, which calmed him considerably.

“Better?” the older man asked, a smile in his voice as he scented the green hair.

“Yeah,” Jack mumbled. “Thank you for stayin’ with me tonight…”

“It’s my pleasure, Jackaboy,” Mark chuckled. “I’ll stay with you every night if you want me to.”

“I’d like that,” the Irishman hummed happily, purring softly.

“Anything for my omega,” his alpha rumbled contently. “…By the way, how come your mom called you ‘Seán’?”

“It’s my birth name, but I prefer to be called Jack,” Jack answered, before yawning. “Tired…”

“Get some sleep, then, Jackaboy. I’ll be here the entire time. And when you wake up, I’ll make you some food,” Mark murmured, kissing the top of his head.

“Kay… Love you, Markimoo…” the younger man got out sleepily. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I'm kind of rushing everything, but I can't help it... I have a bad tendency to do that, and not only that, but these two are so adorable with their interactions that things just...happen. Next chapter will have a time skip, though!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry this took so long compared to the prior chapters! Been having a rough time at home, and been distracting myself with some of Jack's older videos. ^-^;

X*X(3 Months Later)X*X

Already, three months had passed in the blink of an eye, it felt like. Jack’s belongings from Ireland had arrived about a week after he’d moved into his apartment, so now the omega had all of his gaming stuff, including his computer and different consoles. He’d made sure to bring his portables with him on his flight, though.

The day after Jack and Mark had discovered they were each other’s soulmate, Rose knew when she saw them in the lobby. She had noticed how close they were being, and how much more relaxed Jack was with Mark. And like Mark had figured, she didn’t kick Jack out for being a multi-shifter, nor was she mad at him for lying. She completely understood, and was just happy that they had each other. But like with Mark, the three agreed to keep it a secret between themselves.

With each passing day, Jack seemed to fall more and more in love with his alpha, and he couldn’t imagine being without him now. True to his word, Mark was over in Jack’s apartment almost every night, and when not sleeping there, they slept in Mark’s bed. The main reason Mark didn’t want to have Jack in his apartment more often, though, was because he wanted Jack to feel more comfortable. The omega was still amazed at how considerate Mark was, even with small things like that.

“Hey, Jack?” Mark called, snapping Jack out of his thoughts as he leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the top of the younger man’s head.

“Hm?”

“I need to go to my apartment and start a load of laundry. I’ll back in about 5 minutes, okay?” he smiled.

“That’s fine. I need ta call Ma and update her on how we’re doin’, anyway,” Jack nodded, tilting his head back and kissing the older man briefly.

“Sounds good. Tell her I said hi,” Mark chuckled.

“Will do,” the omega said. Once the door had shut behind Mark, Jack picked up his phone and Facetimed his mother.

“Hi Seán,” she greeted after one ring this time. “How are you?”

“We’ve been great, Ma,” Jack smiled. “Mark told me to tell ya hi, by the way. He needed to start some laundry at his apartment.”

“Then tell him hi for me when he’s back,” she giggled. They chatted for a few minutes, Jack telling her about a few of the things Mark had done for him, and some of the sillier things that had happened.

“I’ll be honest, Ma, Mark’s amazin’. I’m so glad I moved here and met him,” Jack grinned. “I miss you all, but I’m really happy now.”

“I’m so happy for you, sweetie,” she told him, a warm smile on her face. She looked like she was about to say something else, but then Mark returned, and she said, “I’ll talk to you boys next time, but take care of each other and yourselves, you hear me?”

“We will, dun worry so much, Ma,” the omega laughed. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, Seán,” she replied, before hanging up.

“Sounds like she’s doing well,” Mark commented as he sat on the couch and tugged Jack close to him, almost in his lap.

“Yeah, and my siblings aren’t worryin’ so much anymore, either,” the Irishman smiled, squirming a bit so he was straddling Mark. “It’s really nice.” He snuggled closer, nuzzling Mark’s neck with a content hum and inhaling his familiar scent.

“This is a nice surprise,” his alpha murmured, wrapping his arms around him.

“I just feel like cuddlin’, and you smell really good,” Jack mumbled against his neck. He felt warm and comfortable in Mark’s hold, practically wrapped in his scent, and he couldn’t seem to stop scenting the older man. Soon, though, he yawned tiredly, curling even closer into Mark.

“You smell amazing, too, Jackaboy,” Mark chuckled. “Wanna rest for a bit? I’ll wake you up later for dinner.”

“Mkay…” the omega nodded, wrapping his arms around his soulmate’s neck as he stood, still scenting him. As they settled in bed under the covers, Jack still clinging to Mark, he suddenly remembered a fuzzy memory from when he first gained his omega mark, and when he’d had to get checked at the doctor’s when he got a bit sick from something else. For some reason, he remembered the doctor telling him about heats and pregnancy and whatnot, but the details were hazy. It was like he was trying to hear from underwater, and he couldn’t tell what was being said. It was strange that that memory would surface the way it did now, but Jack was too tired to dwell on it.

“I love you, Jack,” Mark whispered before kissing the top of his head, scenting his green hair.

“Love you, too, Mark,” Jack sighed out sleepily, before falling asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When Jack woke up, he didn’t feel very rested, but he felt way too hot to sleep. He knew he was sweating from feeling so hot, and he shifted in place to try and get more comfortable. After a few minutes of trying and failing to fall back asleep, he groaned, before sitting up, holding his head in one hand. And now he felt a headache coming on, great. As he sat there, though, he soon realized Mark wasn’t in bed with him.

“Mark…?” he called out, confused. Mark never left him alone while he slept, and if he did, it was just to use the bathroom before he was quickly back with him. And the bathroom wasn’t occupied. “Mark?” he called out again, becoming increasingly worried. He couldn’t hear anything outside of his room, so he slid out of bed, whimpering when he opened the door and saw Mark wasn’t in his apartment.

Now the fear was starting to set in. Multiple ‘what if’ questions raced through Jack’s mind, and he didn’t know what the hell could have happened. He almost considered going out to try and find him, but his instincts told him to stay where he was, that way Mark wouldn’t have to search for him.

Jack whined loudly, knowing he was on the verge of tears, and panic was gripping his nerves firmly as he became even warmer. He wanted and needed Mark with him, needed him now, but his alpha wasn’t there for some reason. And that thought terrified him. In the back of his mind, he felt a bit confused, as he normally wouldn’t be this freaked out about something like this.

Suddenly, the door to his apartment quickly opened, before Jack was swiftly wrapped in the familiar hold of his alpha, and the omega was quick to bury his face in the crook of Mark’s neck with a whimper, scenting him. He couldn’t stop the pitiful sounds he made, and tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he practically latched onto Mark.

“Shhh… It’s okay, Jack, I’m here…” the older man soothed, even as he carried Jack to the bedroom. “I’m so sorry I left, I had to put my laundry in the dryer…” Even as he was laid back on the bed, Mark curled over him, but when he took a deep breath, he froze.

“…Mark…?” Jack breathed, looking up at his alpha with his crystalline blue gaze. From what he could see of Mark’s face in the dark of the bedroom (since the sun had completely set before Jack had woken up), the older man’s pupils were blown wide, the irises barely visible. What could be seen of them was dark, almost blending in with his pupils. What was strange, though, was that Mark almost looked panicked, but incredibly aroused at the same time. Then he growled, low and deep, making the Irishman whine.

“You’re in heat…?” Mark gasped out when he heard the whine, breathing heavily. He shuddered as he tried not to force himself on his omega. Jack didn’t register the words, feeling far too desperate for Mark’s touch to really care. He pouted, making small, distressed noises as he reached up for his alpha. He didn’t know what was going on with him, but all he knew was that he needed Mark, needed his touch, needed to be _knotted_ by him.

“Need you…!” Jack pleaded, and a visible shiver coursed through Mark’s body before they were kissing heatedly, the older man rumbling eagerly in his chest and making the younger man purr happily. It seemed like only seconds had passed when Jack felt Mark’s hot lips kissing, nipping, and licking hungrily down his bare chest, making him moan. He didn’t remember his alpha undressing either of them, and as he looked at Mark, his mouth watered at the sight of the older man’s bare body.

When Mark moved back up and kissed him fiercely again, tasting him with a groan, Jack gave a high-pitched whine as he felt the other shifter’s blunt nails running through his happy trail. As they parted when the need for air became too great, the Irishman gasped sharply when he felt a surge of wetness from his ass, his face burning crimson. Mark perked with clear interest when he caught the scent of something, and before Jack knew what was happening, his alpha had raised his legs so he could get to the omega’s ass. Jack’s thighs rested on those tan shoulders while Mark scooted closer, parting his ass cheeks and then—

“Holy fuckin’ shit…!!” he choked out, moaning heavily when he felt a hot tongue lick a stripe over his hole, the resulting pleasure shocking through his spine and making him tremble. He felt Mark’s pleased growl as he lapped up the slick leaking from his ass, making the pleasure spike sharply. Jack clawed at the sheets beneath him, whimpering, moaning, and mewling before giving a startled yet pleasured cry when his alpha pushed his tongue past the ring of muscle.

Finally, Mark pulled back after a bit more teasing, smirking as he licked his lips, holding Jack’s gaze. The younger man’s cheeks burned at the smoldering intensity in those dark chocolate eyes, but then whined with need as his cock throbbed painfully and slick continued to leak from his ass. Mark’s gaze softened at the sound, and he moved closer, lining his cock up against Jack’s hole, placing a small kiss to the omega’s nose before pressing in, clenching his jaw firmly at the tight, wet heat.

Jack clung to Mark’s shoulders as he was filled, moaning when the older man bottomed out, before shifting his hips a little bit to adjust. As soon as he moved his hips, though, strong hands quickly pinned them to the bed, making him pout.

“Don’t. Move,” Mark growled firmly, looking like he was struggling to hold still.

“Then move, please…!” the Irishman begged, managing to wrap his legs around Mark’s hips, hooking his ankles together to keep himself in place. His alpha groaned heavily at the motion, shuddering, before he pulled back, just the head of his cock still inside, and then thrust back in harshly. Immediately, Jack cried out, digging his blunt nails into the tan shoulders. Mark rumbled loudly as he thrust into his mate, hard and fast, drawing moans and mewls from the omega. When he switched to rolling his hips, though, Jack gave a choked scream, feeling the head of the older man’s cock strike something in him that made him see stars.

“There, Mark, please…!” he wailed, clenching around Mark’s cock.

“You’re so…fucking…tight,” the other shifter groaned between rolls. As Jack felt himself get closer to his release and Mark’s knot swelling with his own approaching release, he moved his head so his lips were pressed to the junction where Mark’s neck and shoulder met, biting down hard enough to break the skin and mark him. A small snarl sounded from his alpha in response, and when the younger man pulled back, tilting his head to the side for easier access, Mark was quick to bite him as well.

A scream of pure ecstasy tore itself from Jack’s throat, and he tightened around Mark as his release hit him, his cum coating their stomachs and chests. With another growl, Mark pushed his knot past the ring of muscle, before cumming as well with a loud, satisfied groan. The older man managed to roll them onto their sides so he wasn’t crushing his mate, holding Jack close. The couple lay there, holding each other firmly, both of them trying to catch their breath.

Once Jack had managed to catch his breath, he purred happily, nuzzling Mark’s neck and lapping up the blood from the bite he’d given him. Mark did the same, rumbling contently as he cleaned his omega’s wound. The older man moaned lowly as he came again, making Jack whine a bit as he felt the pulsing heat fill him more.

“Get some sleep, Jackaboy,” Mark murmured after coming back down from his high. “We’ll talk properly later. I love you so much…”

“Love you…too, Mark…” Jack yawned, snuggling as close as he could get, his eyes already closed. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, wrapped in his alpha’s comforting scent.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Morning arrived, and with it, some confusion for Jack. His eyes slowly flickered open, and all he could see was Mark’s tan skin. As his gaze focused, he noticed a fresh bite mark at the junction where his alpha’s neck and shoulder met. Scenting it subtly, he felt a cold sweat wash over him when he realized it smelled like himself…which could only mean a couple of things: he was in heat, Mark had mated him, and they had marked each other.

Jack felt himself begin to tremble as he started to panic, honestly terrified of what would happen. He knew full well that now that he’d been knotted, he wouldn’t be able to deny his body the desperate desire and need to be knotted again. And that would guarantee him becoming pregnant. Even as he continued to stare at the mating bite and smell his alpha, the blurred memories of what happened after Mark returned to the apartment rushed back, and he whimpered. He had honestly had no idea he would go into heat like that.

Even so, he started to (again) recall what the doctor had explained to him after he gained his mark. The doctor had told him that, three months after meeting his soulmate, he would go into heat, and if he was knotted during heat, then pregnancy would last six months. If he didn’t conceive during a heat, then he would have one each year until he did. And if he did go through with a pregnancy, then he would go into heat six years after giving birth.

The thought of being pregnant terrified Jack. Even though he has Mark as his soulmate and he’s got his mating bite, he knew there were some alpha shifters that wouldn’t care. They would still go after him because he’s an omega multi-shifter, even if he’s bonded, pregnant, both, or neither. Tears leaked from his eyes as he sniffled, whimpering again.

Mark was quick to wake at the sounds, and he rumbled soothingly as he held the Irishman close, kissing his forehead. Despite the comfort, Jack couldn’t help it when he started actually crying. In the back of his mind, he knew it was partly the heat hormones making it worse, but most of it was his own, genuine fears. It took almost five minutes for him to finally calm down to hiccups and sniffles.

“Hey, love, it’s going to be okay,” Mark murmured, pulling back enough to look at his omega properly. “I’m so sorry… I tried resisting so you wouldn’t be upset like this, but I couldn’t when…”

“…When I begged for it…” Jack mumbled bitterly. “I didn’t even remember what happened after you got back until I saw and smelled your mating bite I gave you… I just remembered being so panicked because you were gone, and I didn’t understand why…”

“My mom once told me that when omegas go into heat, they _need_ their alpha. Not just sexually, but physically there at all times. Otherwise they panic like you did last night,” his alpha explained. “You probably would have been distressed the entire night if I’d been able to resist. I would have had to leave the room or keep myself against the wall in here. Long story short, I highly doubt you would have been fine without me knotting you.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to be a parent, though…” the younger man whispered, looking up at the other shifter.

“I promise, I’ll be with you every step of the way, Jack,” Mark swore. “We’re soulmates, and I’m your alpha. I will _always_ keep you safe, support you, comfort you, and take care of you. I love you so much, and it hurts my heart when I know you’re upset.”

“I love you, too,” Jack smiled slightly, grateful he had Mark as his soulmate. He considered himself incredibly lucky, especially with moments like these. Then he whined as his stomach practically snarled at him, demanding food.

“Let’s get some food in us, okay? We never ate dinner last night, so I’m not surprised you’re hungry,” the older man chuckled. As he sat up, he gently tugged his omega up with him, and kissed him softly. “Get some shorts on for now, that way no one sees you exposed through the window.” Jack nodded, still smiling, and did as told, while Mark did the same. When Mark headed for the bedroom door, the Irishman was quick to tuck himself into his alpha’s side, purring happily when a tan arm wrapped around his shoulders.

Of course, Jack had to pull away so Mark could fix them some food, but he didn’t go far, merely watching from the edge of the kitchen. While he admired the rippling of the older man’s muscles under his skin as he moved about, he thought about how or when he would tell his family. He was a bit nervous to, considering he’s the youngest, and they had all been so worried about him before and after his move to America. Granted, their worries had lessened when they found out about Mark, but he had a feeling that they would be even _more_ worried than before when he told them about his heat and pregnancy. After all, there was no way he’d be able to keep that from them. Abortions aren’t possible in shifters due to their odd anatomy, so he wouldn’t be able to hide a child from his family. He wouldn’t want to, anyway.

The more he thought about having a child…carrying his alpha’s and his baby…it honestly didn’t seem so bad.

“Hey, food’s ready,” Mark said suddenly, jerking him out of his thoughts. Jack jumped a little in surprise, having been so deep in thought that he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Thanks,” the younger man smiled, and they sat on the couch to eat. At this point, Jack was so hungry he didn’t even care what he was eating, and just ate it eagerly. Once they had both finished their food, Jack cuddled up against Mark’s side, humming and purring contently.

“What were you thinking about earlier that had you so lost in thought?” his alpha asked as he ran his fingers through the green hair, lightly scratching his scalp.

“I was thinkin’ ‘bout when and how I’m gonna have ta tell my family ‘bout goin’ into heat and becomin’ pregnant,” Jack answered softly, before smiling up at Mark. “The more I thought about it…the more the idea of havin’ our baby doesn’t seem so scary.”

The older man’s eyes darkened with lust at the words, and he rumbled eagerly, deep in his chest, making the Irishman whine as he felt his heat flaring up in response. As Mark whisked Jack back into the bedroom, the omega knew his alpha was more than pleased with the idea of impregnating Jack.

Obviously, Jack had never seen what his mother had gone through while she was pregnant, since he was the youngest, so he didn’t have much to go on as far as what he would go through. He knew there was morning sickness involved, sometimes weird cravings, major hormones, and of course, his stomach would get bigger as the baby grew, but that was as far as his knowledge went. He would definitely have to find out more later, but for now, his focus was on how good it felt that Mark was palming him through his shorts as he sucked a huge hickey on his neck.

“Mark…!” Jack whined pleadingly, before giving a startled yip as his alpha yanked his shorts off. A dark blush formed on his face as he looked up at Mark, who was staring at his nude body ravenously, rumbling eagerly. The longer Mark stared at him, though, the more anxious Jack became, and he tried desperately not to tackle his mate and ride him. However, it was like the older man was in a bit of a trance, just drinking in the sight of his omega laid out for him.

Finally, Jack’s patience ran out, as his heat was demanding relief. With an animalistic growl, he quickly sat up and shoved Mark onto his back against the mattress before nearly ripping his shorts off of him. With the cloth barrier gone, the younger man purred at the feeling of his alpha’s hot, hard cock pressing against his hole as he lowered himself down. Fortunately, he’d started leaking slick the moment they left the couch, so he felt nothing but pleasure as he was filled.

“Oh, fuck…!” Mark grit out, his hands grabbing his omega’s hips in a bruising grip when he was fully buried within that tight, wet heat. Jack didn’t waste any time, raising and lowering himself on Mark’s cock as best as he could manage. When his legs began to tremble with the effort, though, Mark snarled before he thrust up harshly, making them both cry out in pleasure. Stars danced across the Irishman’s vision, white pulsing around the edges as he got closer to his release with every strike to his prostate.

“G-gonna…cum…!” Jack gasped out in warning, but when his alpha’s cock slammed against his prostate one last time, he came with a scream, his cum coating their stomachs and chests. Mark thrust a few more times, his knot pushing past the ring of muscle, and then he was filling Jack with his white hot seed, a harsh, growling groan sounding from his throat. As they caught their breath, Mark rolled them onto their sides, holding the younger man close.

“ _Mine_ ,” he rumbled as he scented Jack’s mating bite. Jack mewled softly in response, snuggling closer.

“All yours…Markimoo…” he purred tiredly, smiling contently. “Love you…”

“Sleep, Jackaboy. Love you, too,” Mark murmured, kissing his omega’s sweaty green hair tenderly. Jack was quick to fall asleep, feeling safe and loved in Mark’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just a quick explanation for this A/U. Multi-shifters are rarer than mono-shifters, and it’s even rarer for multi-shifters to have another multi-shifter as their soulmate. Even though multi-shifters are rarer, they’re also seen as much more dangerous, since they can shift into any animal. They also tend to have a bit of a temper compared to mono-shifters, which also explains why Mark was so angry at the grocery store before. That’s the reason behind Rose’s rule of only mono-shifters and humans allowed to live in her complex. Of course, she’s very fond of Mark and Jack, hence why she didn’t immediately boot either of them out, nor did she get mad.  
> Also, to explain the forcible mating, alpha shifters of either kind will sometimes find an omega that they find attractive, submissive, weak, etc. Even if they’re not soulmates, they will force it on them, and since the omega typically is not their mate, they’ll never go into heat as a result. Unless they encounter their soulmate in any way. In this, the U.S. implemented laws to basically instill fear into alpha shifters to not do this, while Europe…not so much, obviously.  
> And I know I'm making Jack kinda OOC in this, but I have that tendency in my fics to make the bottom more submissive/meek, sometimes shy, etc. Can't exactly help it...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOOO sorry I was late in updating this! I would have had it up a few days ago, to be honest, but I had some IMMENSE pain in my back from Thursday into Friday, then ended up in the ER on Saturday from immense abdominal pain... I can't seem to catch a break! The ER visit was for a ruptured ovarian cyst (I have MANY, considering my PCOS), but I'm okay now. I'll do my best to get the next update posted sooner! Thank you, guys!

It had been three days since Jack’s heat had started, and by now, it was over. The Irishman was sleeping soundly, curled as close as possible against Mark’s side. The older man was holding his omega firmly in his sleep, subconsciously trying to make Jack feel safe. Both shifters seemed content to remain in bed all day like that, but it seemed their stomachs had other plans.

Jack’s stomach practically snarled at him angrily, as though demanding to know why it was empty. He whined a bit as he woke up, definitely unhappy at the unpleasant wake up. Mark grumbled as his own stomach growled, before opening his eyes to look at Jack.

“Morning, Jackaboy,” he chuckled when he saw the younger man pouting at his stomach’s growling. “Wanna get cleaned up, then we’ll go for breakfast?”

“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ starvin’,” Jack nodded eagerly.

“Then go on ahead and shower first, kay? I’ll start the bedding in the washer in the meantime,” Mark smiled, sitting up. Once Jack had slid off the bed, Mark began to peel off the sheets, going over and kissing his omega briefly before leaving to the laundry room. Once he was gone, Jack padded into the bathroom and started up the shower, waiting until it was warm enough to step under the spray.

While he washed himself down, the Irishman’s thoughts began to wander, mainly about the future and what all it held. Obviously, he was pregnant, despite it being way too early to test, but Mark had bred him very thoroughly during his heat, so there was no doubt in his mind. He was worried about telling his mother and siblings, since for him, his heat had been very unexpected. He honestly didn’t remember about his heat starting three months after meeting his soulmate until _after_ it had already started.

Jack knew Mark would take amazing care of him, as he had been since they met, and he hoped his family already knew that, too, that way they didn’t worry about him so much. He was also worried about how the pregnancy would go. He’d heard of some shifters having complications, usually when they were giving birth. Sometimes the baby would be stillborn, or there would be complications because nothing could be done until birth, or even the mother would have issues after labor, such as bleeding out. It made him rather nervous.

As he bent over to scrub his legs, the omega gasped and blushed brightly when he felt some of Mark’s cum leak out of his ass, snapping him out of his worried thoughts immediately. Shaking his head a bit, Jack focused on hurrying to finish his shower so Mark could clean up, and then they could get breakfast sooner.

Once he was all rinsed off, he turned off the water and snagged a towel before stepping out. He wrapped the towel around his waist before leaving the bathroom, calling out to Mark so his alpha could shower. The older man kissed Jack’s damp green hair as he passed by, making the younger man smile softly before moving to get dressed. By the time he was fully dressed, even getting his shoes on and grabbing his wallet, phone, and apartment key, Mark finished, emerging from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and rubbing another towel over his hair to dry it as best as he could.

“I’ll hurry so we can go,” he smiled at Jack, returning to the bedroom to get a set of his clothes he’d kept in Jack’s closet for whenever he stayed over. At this rate, Jack was thinking he should talk with Mark about them living together in either one of their apartments. It’d be easier than going back and forth between the two, especially for when the baby was born. Or maybe even moving into a proper house…

The other shifter wasn’t long, joining Jack and taking his hand as they left the apartment, locking the door behind themselves. When they got to the lobby, Rose was there at the desk, as usual, and she perked up at their arrival.

“Why, hello dears!” she greeted. “Are you both all right? I hadn’t seen either of you in the past few days, so I was a bit worried…”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Jack assured her, before feeling heat bloom high in his cheeks. “I, uh…I went into heat…”

“Oh! Well, congratulations are in order, then!” Rose smiled brightly. “Let me know if I can do anything for either of you, all right? I’m more than willing to help.”

“Thanks, Rose,” Mark chuckled, letting go of Jack’s hand to wrap his arm around his omega’s shoulders. “We’ll keep you updated.”

“Please do,” the older woman giggled. “I’ll let you boys be on your way. Take care!” Mark waved to her as they left, walking to the nearest breakfast diner. As they made their way there, the older man kept Jack tucked into his side, which helped soothe the Irishman’s nerves. Even though they both trusted Rose completely, Jack couldn’t help his anxiety spiking when they basically told her he was pregnant. With Mark holding him so close, though, his alpha’s warm scent and protective hold on him calmed him down.

“Better?” Mark asked quietly after a few minutes.

“Yeah, thank you,” Jack murmured, purring softly in thanks. Once they got to the diner and had been seated, they both quickly looked through the menu so they could figure out their orders that much sooner and hence, get food sooner. Neither said anything until after they placed their orders, and Mark started first.

“You feeling okay, Jackaboy?” he inquired kindly. “You seemed kinda deep in thought earlier.”

“I was,” Jack answered honestly. “Was thinkin’ about what all we’ll need ta do to be ready, ya know?”

“Definitely,” the other shifter nodded. “I actually was thinking about it in between your needs, like when you were sleeping.”

“What were you thinkin’?” the younger man asked, curious.

“I…was actually considering us getting a house, for starters,” Mark admitted with a small, nervous smile. “After all, it’ll be much easier than living in two separate 1-bedroom apartments, and we’ll need the space. Even though that means we won’t see Rose nearly as often, I know she’ll understand and want us to be happy.” Jack stared at him, pleasantly surprised. “What?”

“I was thinkin’ the same thing earlier,” he chuckled. “Maybe Rose has a recommendation for us. We should ask when we get back.”

“Absolutely,” his alpha nodded. They discussed what they needed for their house until the food was brought out, and then they focused fully on eating. They ate every last bite of their meals, and when they got the bill, Mark snatched it up before Jack could even reach for it, making the Irishman pout.

“You can’t keep payin’ for me like this, Mark,” he grumbled. “I can pay, too…”

“I want to. Besides, I love taking care of you,” Mark grinned cheekily. After Mark had finished paying, they headed back to the complex. As they walked, however, Jack couldn’t help but feel like they were being followed. He could feel eyes on his neck, despite his choker (since he still didn’t like having his mark showing), and he tensed against Mark. The red-haired shifter growled suddenly, before quickly maneuvering Jack behind him and backing them up against a brick wall.

‘ _Now, now, we can share, can’t we?_ ’ a voice purred in their minds before a snake emerged from behind a trash can, and then shifted into human form. The stranger was surprisingly tall, a bit taller than Mark, with a lean frame that practically screamed that this shifter was fast. He had pale blonde hair, and unusual golden eyes that gleamed with a challenge.

“You’re not touching him,” Mark growled in warning, taking a defensive stance in front of Jack.

“No need to get all huffy. It’s a bit soon to be so protective, hm?” the other alpha smirked knowingly, making a cold sweat wash over Jack. How did he know? “We can all have some fun with him~”

“You get any closer and I’ll fucking slaughter you,” Mark snarled furiously.

“Really now?” the other shifter questioned, quirking a brow as he grinned wickedly. “I’d like to see you try.” And then he shot forward. Jack gave a startled squeak, right before Mark caught the stranger by the wrists before he could get by, throwing him to the sidewalk roughly. The newcomer yelped at the hard impact, turning a hard glare on Mark before shifting into a mountain lion with a growl. Mark didn’t hesitate, shifting into a wolf with a fierce snarl, lunging at the mountain lion and crunching down on his shoulder while digging his claws in powerfully. The stranger screeched in pain, thrashing and struggling to throw Mark off him. He managed to hook a few claws into Mark’s side, tearing open some of the skin, drawing a pained cry from Mark, but he jumped away and stood in front of Jack again, snarling viciously. The other alpha hissed angrily at Mark, but turned and limped away as fast as he could into the trees, soon disappearing into the foliage.

Mark relaxed a bit once the danger was gone, shifting back with a grunt, and then whining in pain as he pressed a hand to his side. The wound wasn’t bleeding anymore by now, thanks to the swift healing shifters have, but it was still sore and tender.

“Mark! Are you okay?” Jack whimpered, going to his alpha’s side.

“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine,” Mark stammered a bit, exhaling through his teeth in a hiss before looking at Jack. “What about you?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you, but…how did he know?” the younger man frowned worriedly.

“All alphas can smell an omega’s pregnancy scent, even right after their heat ends. It’s enticing to unmated alphas, but makes the omega’s mate extremely protective,” the older man explained. “Yours is enticing to me, of course, but when you’re in danger, it makes me incredibly protective of you. My dad told me it happened with my mom.”

“…” Jack bit his lip nervously, lowering his gaze to the concrete until Mark tilted his chin back up with a finger so the Irishman could look at him.

“Try not to worry so much, Jack. I’ll always keep you safe, no matter what,” he soothed with a smile. Tucking his omega against his side again, the couple resumed their walk home, Mark rumbling soothingly in his chest to help calm Jack further. When they got back, Mark guided Jack back to the Irishman’s apartment without hesitation, not even pausing to look for Rose. The younger man was grateful for that, as he just wanted to rest at this point. He also really needed to call his mother.

Once seated on the bed, Mark held Jack close to him, still rumbling deep in his chest. Several minutes went by, and finally, the omega managed to fish his phone out of his pocket. Even then, he hesitated.

“…Do you want me to be with you while you call?” his alpha asked softly.

“Please,” Jack whispered, before unlocking his phone and calling his mother, putting the call on speaker rather than Facetiming her. She answered before the first ring even finished.

“Seán? Are you okay?” she asked, clearly worried. She had to have known about his heat before it actually started. He barely heard her calling for his siblings before he spoke.

“Yeah, ‘m fine,” he told her. “Listen, Ma… I…I, um…I went inta heat a few days ago…”

“I…I had a feelin’ you would be soon,” his mother admitted. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know beforehand…”

“S’okay, Ma,” Jack assured her. His face started to burn a bit as he next spoke. “Mark… He took care of me.”

“Wait, you mean…!” Conor, his youngest brother, demanded eagerly, surprising Jack.

“Yeah, I’m…pregnant,” the omega confirmed. He was shocked when he heard his siblings all cheer excitedly. “Aren’t you guys worried at all?”

“‘Course we are!” Cara, his oldest sister, replied. “But we’re all happy for you guys as well!”

“Seán, you know we’ll always worry about you, but we also didn’t expect you to actually resist Mark durin’ your first heat,” his mother explained. “I haven’t heard of or known a shifter who didn’t become pregnant durin’ their first heat. We’re mainly happy to know you’re okay, and that you have a little one in six months.”

“We’ll make sure to keep you all updated,” Mark chuckled.

“You’d best, and make sure to send pictures of the ultrasound when that time comes,” Jack’s mother giggled.

“Of course, Shauna,” the alpha grinned.

“…Will you guys come see us after I have the baby?” Jack inquired a bit timidly. He hoped they could, but wasn’t sure if they’d be able to.

“Absolutely,” Shauna said, a smile in her voice. “Actually, Mark? I need to talk to Seán alone about some things to expect. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” the older man nodded, kissing his omega’s temple before letting him go and leaving the room. As he left, Jack heard his mother basically shooing his siblings from the room. Once the door clicked shut to the bedroom, Shauna changed the call to Facetime.

“I’ll be you’re worried about what ta expect, hm?” she guessed when she saw her youngest.

“Yeah… I dun know much, since I was your last one…” Jack admitted, guilt flooding him at the thought.

“Seán. Don’t start that,” Shauna said firmly. “None of us have ever blamed you, and we never will. Your father did anythin’ and everythin’ he could to keep us safe, and I know full well he would be proud of the young man you’ve become. I also know he’s happy to know you’re alive, happy, safe, and mated. Not to mention that you’re startin’ your own family.”

“…I’m scared for Mark, Ma…” the omega confessed quietly. “I didn’t know it could be that bad until he fought off another alpha on our way back from breakfast…”

“The pregnancy scent omegas give off entices unmated alphas, and they become overly confident when they think they can claim what’s not theirs,” his mother explained. “Those fights can become nasty, but from what I’ve seen of Mark, not to mention what you’ve told me and how he is with you when you call… I have no doubt he’s a very capable fighter and protector.”

“But…I dun wanna lose him…” Jack whimpered, fighting back tears.

“You won’t, sweetheart,” Shauna soothed. “Just stay close to him, and don’t go out without Mark. Otherwise you’ll put yourself at risk.”

“Kay…” Jack sniffled, before giving her a watery smile. “Thanks, Ma…”

“Anytime, Seán,” she smiled warmly. “Now, as for what to expect… Your hormones will sort of…dictate, I guess, a lot of your emotions. Most of your pregnancy, I’ll be honest, will have you feelin’ quite needy of Mark. You’ll have weird cravin’s, mornin’ sickness after two weeks, but that lasts for only two weeks. Of course, as the baby grows, your womb will grow to accommodate the little one, and at about four months, you’ll feel him or her kick. You’ll even be able to find out the gender at that time with ultrasound. And finally, you’ll go inta labor at six months.” The omega nodded his understanding.

“…Hey Ma?” he said. “Thank you…”

“You’re welcome, honey,” Shauna smiled. “Feel free to call me any time you need advice, help, guidance, or even if you just have questions. I love you~”

“Love you, too, Ma,” Jack murmured. “I’ll keep in touch and update you all weekly.”

“Please do. Talk to you soon, Seán,” she told him kindly, before hanging up. Once Jack had locked his phone and set it on the bedside table again, he left the bedroom and went out into the living room to join Mark. The older man was seated on the couch with the TV on, playing a random episode of a show they liked. The Irishman quietly snuggled up against his alpha, sighing contently when he was held close.

“…You okay?” Mark asked after a few minutes, leaning down to nuzzle at Jack’s green hair.

“Yeah,” Jack answered softly. He knew he couldn’t lie to Mark, though. Biting his lip nervously for a minute, he finally mumbled, “…Ma and I talked ‘bout my dad…”

“I never wanted to pry, just in case, but I was surprised you never talked about him,” the older man nodded.

“That’s cuz I never knew anythin’ ‘bout him ‘cept what mah family told me…” the younger man replied quietly. “He was killed a few days ‘fore I was born, protectin’ Ma and me from other alphas…” Mark’s breath caught, and it was clear he hadn’t expected that answer. The next thing Jack knew, he was being hugged tightly, Mark’s nose pressed into the crook of his neck. The omega whined a bit, before sniffling in his alpha’s hold as he hugged him back.

“…I won’t let that happen with us, Jack, I promise,” Mark murmured into his neck after a few minutes. “I’ll keep us all safe.” Jack whimpered at the words and settled further in the other shifter’s grip. Even when Mark finally let go, he still held the Irishman close to him, which made Jack purr against his side. Maybe things would be okay. Maybe they wouldn’t be in danger too often from other alphas. If things went well, that’s what mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> SORRY ABOUT THE CLIFFY!!! Working on Chapter 2 right away! *salutes you all*
> 
> I tried to provide as much explanation as I could in this chapter without giving too much away, and I really hope that helps. Please don't hesitate to ask questions in your comments if anything confuses you guys!


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